COIMBATORE: The Chief Educational Officer of Coimbatore, P. Ayyappan, on Friday inaugurated a new sports complex at the Government Higher Secondary School in Othakal Mandapam.

Thanking Larsen & Toubro for constructing the complex, Ayyappan said the complex would help students of Government Schools reach greater heights in the field.

The complex has facilities for football, handball, javelin throw, discus throw, kabaddi, volleyball, kho-kho, throw ball, tennicoit, long jump, high jump, and 200-metre running track.

The complex is part of L&T’s ambitious ‘School Adoption Project’, launched in 2014 when the company had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu Education Department to enhance the quality of education in government schools. L&T had adopted five such schools in Madukkarai Block in the first phase.

The company also signed another agreement with the department to adopt five new government schools. With this, four Government schools in Madukkarai Block would get water and sanitation facilities.

Speaking on the the occasion, N.V. Venkatasubramanian, Chief Executive and Director, L&T Valves, a subsidiary of L&T, said the company aimed to support the Education Department in improving the facilities in Government primary and secondary schools. “By building this sports complex, we have laid a strong foundation, essential for nurturing local sporting talent. We have adopted 11 government schools so far.”

The project includes providing access to safe drinking water through water filters manufactured by WATSAN Envirotech, improving sanitation facilities, student health, safety and security, improving behavioural changes in children through communication, strengthening school infrastructure including classroom, smart class, laboratory and quality of education, besides promoting sports & cultural activities.

The company also undertook the task of proving water and sanitation facilities at six government schools, constructing a 230m compound wall at Panchayat Union Primary School in Avvai Nagar. It also installed small classrooms in two government schools. All the completed projects were handed over to the respective school management representatives at the function.

Coimbatore District Elementary Education Officer A. Palumuthu, Madukkarai Block Assistant Elementary Education Officer Maria Joseph, president and members of school management committees, principals of local government schools, PTA and executives of L&T’s Coimbatore branch were present.